conceive

Synonym Chooser

How is the word conceive distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of conceive are envisage, envision, fancy, imagine, realize, and think. While all these words mean "to form an idea of," conceive suggests the forming and bringing forth and usually developing of an idea, plan, or design.

conceived of a new marketing approach

How do envisage and envision relate to one another, in the sense of conceive?

Both envisage and envision imply a conceiving or imagining that is especially clear or detailed.

envisaged a totally computerized operation
envisioned a cure for the disease

When could fancy be used to replace conceive?

Although the words fancy and conceive have much in common, fancy suggests an imagining often unrestrained by reality but spurred by desires.

fancied himself a super athlete

In what contexts can imagine take the place of conceive?

While in some cases nearly identical to conceive, imagine stresses a visualization.

imagine you're at the beach

When would realize be a good substitute for conceive?

The synonyms realize and conceive are sometimes interchangeable, but realize stresses a grasping of the significance of what is conceived or imagined.

realized the enormity of the task ahead

When can think be used instead of conceive?

In some situations, the words think and conceive are roughly equivalent. However, think implies the entrance of an idea into one's mind with or without deliberate consideration or reflection.

I just thought of a good joke

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of conceive The season was originally conceived to be only six episodes, but Apple ordered ten. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 13 June 2025 When Arcane’s co-creators Christian Linke and Alex Yee were still conceiving their League of Legends adaptation over a decade ago, the relationship between the multiplayer online battle arena’s publisher Riot Games and Fortiche Production was still relatively new. Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025 Initially conceived in a longer format, Miss Saturne has recently been redesigned as a short series of ten 10-minute episodes to adapt to new uses and better reach the young adult audience. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 10 June 2025 In the Bible, women often conceive and bear children in a single sentence. Erica Stern june 9, Literary Hub, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for conceive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conceive
Verb
  • In a visual narrative medium (a play, a film, a TV show) everything a character thinks, feels, believes, remembers, imagines, the audience must infer from what the actor is doing with body and face and voice.
    Benjamin Hale June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
  • But why should God be imagined as human—heavens, dogs are nobler creatures, to say nothing of whales or oak trees—and why as a man?
    Campbell McGrath, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • The mission’s detailed investigation of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 June 2025
  • Agnes understands that the world is not about good and evil and virtue and sin.
    Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • While the unified front welcoming Trump to The Hague may prioritize maintaining the NATO alliance, 23 of the 32 member countries have reached the 2% of GDP spending threshold—and experts think some will reach 5% by or before 2035.
    Nino Paoli, Fortune, 25 June 2025
  • Ya’ll in ya’ll feelings, ya’ll think ya’ll know everything.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • For some students, in place of bachelor’s and master’s programs, Reece envisions a kind of AI vocational school that teaches students how to apply AI to their specific career interests.
    Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 27 June 2025
  • The seminars serve as a way to help students envision themselves as being successful and create more self-confidence.
    Irit Skulnik, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • The Trump administration said the strikes destroyed Iran's nuclear infrastructure, but the full extent of the damage is not known.
    Sonam Sheth Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025
  • The parliamentarian determined that a provision to bar immigrants who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents from receiving food assistance benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, should also be removed.
    Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • Some leaders in the LGBTQ+ advocacy space, however, believe that DEI rollbacks have been greatly exaggerated.
    Sara Braun, Fortune, 24 June 2025
  • Part of what made the Dončić deal so hard to believe was unloading a 25-year-old superstar in his prime nine months after leading the Mavs to the NBA Finals for the first time in 13 years.
    Schuyler Dixon, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • And club captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen is first on the list of those the club would like to see leave before the end of the transfer window.
    Pol Ballús, New York Times, 27 June 2025
  • Heathcote will next be seen in the third season of Paramount + series Tulsa King.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • Algorithmic Literacy encompasses comprehending how AI systems process information, make decisions and generate insights — not as programmers.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
  • In his final days, which my young mind couldn’t fully comprehend, a fresh bottle sat by his hospital bed.
    Stixx Mathews, Essence, 13 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Conceive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conceive. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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